Railway mail-delivery device



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O. D. ROGERS RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE.

No. 545,248. Patented Aug. 27, 1895.

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(No Model.)

0. D. ROGERS.

RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE.

No. 545,248. Patented Aug. 27, 1895.

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0. M (W W I m 7 $1 abbowud UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORVILLE D. ROGERS, OF SHOALS, INDIANA.

RAILWAY MAIL-DELIVERY DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,248, dated August 27, 1 895.

Application tiled March 1, 1895- Serial No. 540,212. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVILLE D. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Shoals, in the county of Martin and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Mail-Delivery Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of the invention as in operation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan of the forward portion of the catching device with top fender-pan removed. Fig. 4: is a section online no at, Fig. 3, with top fenderpan in place. Fig. 5 shows a detail of the invention.

' This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for the delivery of mail bags or pouches from moving trains and for the taking by the train of similar bags or pouches, the object being to provide improved means of this character whereby one or more mail'pouches may be safely delivered from the train while another pouch is taken from a suitable holding-crane.

XVith this object in view the invention consists in acombined pouch-delivery and pouchcatching device, designed to be carried by the train, and in the combination with such of a holding-crane for the pouches to be caught by the train and with catch-baskets designed to receive the pouches as they are delivered from the train.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a suitable frame designed to be carried by the mail-car of a train. Journaled in this frame is a transverse rockbar 1, having attached thereto or secured therein a handle 2, which also screws into a socket3 of the catching device. Said device consists of a bent rigid frame at, rigidly connected to the bar 1, and which has an oblique forward and downwardly extended arm 5,which constitutes the pouch-catching arm. Attached to the opposite end of the frame 1 is a clutchspring 6, which is bent reversely and acutely uponitself at thepoint'7,its free arm extending from said bend obliquely down ward to a point just over the inner portion of the arm 5. At this point the spring is bent upon itself to form a heel 8, from which its tree portion is extended upwardly and laterally to form, with the inner portion of the arm 5, a pocket or throat to receive the pouch, this portion of the spring being provided with spurs 9.

is the delivery-stem, to which is hinged or pivoted a trip-arm 11.

12 12 are two parallel curved guides, between which the trip-arm is arranged to slide. 13 is a check-spring carried by said guides, and 14 is a coilspring, also carried thereby. In the free end of said stem 10 is a ring-slot 15, and a pin-slot 16 at right angles to the ring-slot. On the trip-arm 11 is a pin or stud 17, arranged, when in normal position,to engage said slot 16.

18 18 are two fender-pans which are secured to the free end of the stem 10.

On each end portion of the bar 1 is a rub ber sleeve or cylinder 19, which is held between a shoulder 20 on the bar and the bearing-piece 21.

22 22 are the boxes in which bar 1 is journaled. Carried by each journal of said bar is a pin 23, which works in a slot of the boxing and is stopped by a check 24 to limit the movement of said bar to a rotation of ninety degrees.

is a removable screw which secures the catcher-frame and delivery-stem to the bar 1, provision being made, as indicated, for placing said frame and stem in either right or left handed relation.

The center rings of the pouch or pouches ,to be delivered are placed in the ring-slot 15,

and the trip-arm 11 dropped into place, its stud or pin 17 passing through the ring or rings and into the slot 16. The fender-pans 18 18 form guards to prevent the pouch from swinging. When a delivery and catch is to be made, the lever 2 is thrown back through an angle of ninctydegrees, raisingthe catcher and delivery stein into horizontal position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

At the point where the pouch or pouches are to be delivered, and a little in advance of the mail-crane, is a trip-actuating device 26. When the arm 11 comes in contact with this device, it is thrown backbetween the fender- I pans into the guides 12 12, under the checkspri-ng 13,and against the coil-spring 14,

which causes said arm to rebound, and it is caught and held by a shoulder 13 ot' said check-springuntil it is subsequently released by hand. As the arm is thrown back in this 1 manner, the'pin or stud 17is withdrawn from thepouch-rings and thepouchor pouches drop into the basket provided therefor. The

arm 5-now strikes the pouch to be caught, and which is held in a crane 27, and drawssaidpouchin under the heel 8 of the clutch-spring ti and into the throat or pocket of thecatcher'.

. Thecrane 27 comprises a post to which are pivoted the two arms 2829, connected by a 'link 30, and having each at its outer end a .hook 231 forthe'end ringsof thepouches; p The upperarm 2.8 has a counterbalancingnetbasket 82;, the frame of which consists of weight 31; 7 Upon each sideof the crane is a I twobent lend rods 33, connectedbyalongh tudinal rod Said end ,rodshave each a crank 35, which isloosel y journalechone at 36 v i on the crane-post'and the othcrat 37' on a post 38 to oneside of .thevcrane-post.

; crane post will swing the rods 33 and 39 out- 1 ward to openthe basketaway from the posts,

vwhilea reverse; movement 34 will close the basket up againstthc posts. Tohold thebaskets open anarm 40 is hinged to the front face of the crane-post, said arm having at its free end a T-head 4-1, with which, when said arm is extended and the baskets are open, arms 38 of the basket-frames are engaged. Then the pouch is taken from the crane, the falling lower crane-arm 29 strikes this arm 40 and knocks it down, freeing the baskets, which are then closed by the action of springs 42.

43 43.2tl'6 the back guards for the baskets, and 44. 44: are pockets at the rear into which the pouches are delivered by the closing of the baskets.

The trip-actuating devices 26 preferably consist each of a vertical roller, preferably of rubber or some other material which will yield somewhat under concussion.

Inasmuch as the crane and catch basket devices form the subject of a separate application, filed March 1,1895, Serial No. 540,213, in which they are fullydescribed and claimed, I have notdeemed it necessary herein to enter fully into the details of construction thereof,

' but have only described said devices in so far as is necessary to an understanding of the operation thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein described railway mail delivery and catching device, comprising a suitable frame, a transverse rock bar journaled therein, an operating handleattached thereto,

. a rigid catcher frame secured to said bar,and

having an obliqueprojecting catcher arm,a clutch spring attached to the'catcher frame and forming with said frame and arm a throat I or pocket for the pouch, a delivery stem, in-

dependent of the said catcher arm meansfor attaching the pouches thereto, and a trip dcvicefor releasing said pouches,substantially asspecified.

. '2. In a railway mail catching and delivering device, the rock-bar 1, its operating handle, means for limiting therotation of saidbaig the catcher frame rigidly secured thereto, the

clutch spring secured to said catcherframc,

' the extended catcher arm, said arm frame an d springforminga throat or pocket adapted to hold thebag when caught thedeliver stem, independent ofv the said catcher arm the trip arm pivotedto said stem and arranged to hold said arm, substantiallyas specified.

In a railway mail catching and delivering thefree portion forming with said arm a throat or pocket for a mail pouch, said free portion fied.

-thepouchescthereon,and means forreleasing i go device,:iherock-bar 1, itshandleithe rigid catcher fra-me 4, having the arm extension and the clutch spring'dhaving the reverse bend'l, the heel at 8 adjacenttosaid arm, and

havin s urs substantial] as s ecii s P r 4. :Inarailway mail catching and delivering device, the com bination with the roclcbar 1, and the catching devices of the delivery stem too 10 having thepin and'ring slots therein, the

trip arm 11 pivoted to said stem and having a stud or pin adapted to engage the pin slot of said stem, the guides 12 for said arm, the check-spring 13 carried by said guides, and having a catch shoulder forsaid trip arm, the coil spring 14: also carried by said guides, and the fender pans attached to said stem, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the train device arranged to deliver one ormore pouches and at the same time to catch a pouch from a holding crane, said device having a projecting catch arm, and a trip arm controlling the release of the pouches to be delivered, of a crane having the pivotal pouch-holding arms, folding catch baskets adjacent to the crane, a device attached to the crane post for holding said baskets open, said device being oper ated to release the baskets by the falling of the lower crane arm, pockets in connection with the catch baskets for receiving the pouches as the baskets close, and a device adjacent to said baskets for actuating said trip arm, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORVILLE D. ROGERS.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES T. BROWN, WILLARD S. GAREYL 

